Ravensblood Forest from silence rose a symphony

Stjornuati’s sudden departure did in fact give him a start, if only because something had clearly enraptured his attention wholly. Solpallur did not miss the ascension of the raven to the dark sky—it’s call was there and gone in a moment, dwindling as though the very wind had stolen it’s sound. He lingered for a moment, eyes scanning through the dark canopies. He did not distrust the ravens in the slightest, but the very strike of a known skilti was like a flash of lightning.

It was not often that it happened, but when it did…

He moved on swiftly in the wake left behind by his brother, his steps only slowing as he slunk low to merge with shadows as the acrid tinge of blood reached his nose. It was not initially that he took this sign as a boon—blood and ravens could have just as easily been an omen. Often the two would go together, but where there was blood there were often very nasty things to uncover. His breath stilled as he listened, faintly catching his brother’s voice joining with another in conversation.

Interesting.

He crept forward, lumbering along the footpath like some shaggy, miscreant hellion. His size made stealth not the easiest of maneuvers to perform, but he accomplished it in the same way he did many things; it was done with precision and able-bodied form from practice. Stjornuati would know he was there as he approached, as that innate sál binda never left them entirely unaware to the other’s presence. But he was not ready yet for the foreigner in their midst to know he existed, and stopped short of leaving his cover fully.

So he listened for a moment to the words that the other spoke, of the ravens and the ties that held both wolf and dark avian together. Kinship was a word that he recognized, the oft used term for what would lure them into a pack as though it were really an enticement. His kinship, his loyalty, it had lied long with Stjornuati in more ways than one. Still, he recognized the moment for what it was, and let his brother make his assessments of this pale canine and his affinity with the ravens.